I've wanted to try Shalimar Garden as I've heard how authentic their Indian food is. I stopped in for lunch and gave it a try. When you first walk in you're greeted by friendly staff and your drink order is taken. You're then invited to partake in their lunch buffet. The selection seemed somewhat decent. I thought that the flavors were good but it was hard to tell one dish from another as they all tasted very similar. Also, the heated dishes were not all very hot in temperature. Some were barely lukewarm which was not the best whilst other dishes were perfectly hot. They were also out of a few items at the buffet. However I am guessing that they put their dishes out in small batches to keep it good. As I looked around, it felt like a very basic and earthy looking indoor dining space. It seemed tidy but maybe a bit tired looking. Unfortunately this place missed the mark for me. I was a bit underwhelmed by their lunch options. read more

Shalimar Garden Restaurant - buffet lunch - Indian Near Me - Clifton Park, New York

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Every time I've come by I've been disappointed. How do you make vindaloo flavorless? Do yourself a favor and stop by Caravali or Dosa Grill instead. read more

First time trying Indian cuisine. I was surprised how good the food was in the lunch brunch. I had the salad with yogurt dressing, very nice and refreshing. I read all of the menu signs and went for the least spicy, butter chicken, tandoori chicken, pakoras, of course rice. I tried the curry and chickpeas medley-it was very good but was too spicy for my palate. Meal came with a beverage at no cost, which was nice. Very nice restaurant with an older gentleman who led you to your table. Very nice, recommend you try. read more

great, affordable Indian. Been dining here many years. I would describe the food here as basic, down to earth , wonderfully seasoned and very authentic Indian. service is polite and attentive. chicken chili is my favorite and will give you pleasant dreams! read more

Second time around! Really enjoy Indian, Mediterranean, Greek, Italian, and Turkish. Food/Drink: Entrees we're amazing, everything tasted fantastic. The flavors and the smells were intoxicating! I had the Dahl pouri, and curry potato. Bread and Apps: The garlic naan mmmm mmmm! Small dish of the samosas were to die for. Dinning Area: Pretty Small, and cramped. A little drafty. Prices: Relatively cheap. Small appetizer, entree, and a drink I got away for $30. Parking: Plenty of space, private lot. Bathrooms: Bathrooms were clean and smaller in size. Atmosphere: During the weekday Dinner rush, pretty busy, but not unmanageable. I did not wait long. Staff/Attendants: Staff overall was Great, family owned and operated I presume. Extremely authentic, deep accent. Awesome experience wish I had my wife, I will be back! 8/10 read more

We went for the lunch buffet. Seated as soon as we entered and asked what we wanted to drink. We stayed with water. The buffet had both spicy dishes and less spicy offerings. I had vegetable basmati, chicken tandoori, naan, a cabbage dish and rice pudding for dessert. Empty food dishes were replenished. A pleasant meal and calm surroundings. Will return. read more

A good friend wanted to help me spend my birthday by heading out for dinner. We opted to go here. Although I have been for the buffet many times, a regular sit down meal was a nice change of pace. Not only did we get mango lassies, but a nice mixed appetizer platter as well. My chicken korma was beyond delightful, and even though I could have eaten it all, I opted not to be a glutton and took some home. The next night for dinner? Still very tasty reheated in the microwave. Since they found out it was my birthday, I got a free container of kheer which was also devoured with the leftover korma. All in all a delight and very tasty read more

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Shalimar gives you a full buffet and extensive menu that gives you great pricing. While it's on as good as Karavalli's and Spice Malabar with the zest and additions, Shalimar is still a great restaurant. All of the waiters are clean and fast keeping the food coming in with the dirty dishes get out of the way while you get your fix in. You can't beat the price range. My only one thing that knocks me down on the rating is that the Tikka and Curry chicken buffet seems to be dried a lot even in the sauce. Other than that I'd bring them in to fill your belly. read more

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I ordered through Uber eats for a delivery. The aloo palak joint tasted like they might have used a portion of canned spinach in it. But overall food was good. Fish curry was awesome n Garlic naans were great. read more

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Great as always and just great people in the kitchen every time The packaging and handling of food is amazing Second time ordering from them and they beat our expectations again read more

Terribly bland, inauthentic food-coming from someone who grew up in India. Buffet had run out of multiple dishes which were not replaced even though there were 30 minutes left before it closed. Service was also dismal. If I could rate this zero stars I would. read more

This is our favorite Indian restaurant in the area. We've always enjoyed their dishes like the chicken tikka masala, chicken curry, and samosas. Their lamb dishes are also very good. I think what puts this to five stars for me is the service. The staff is always super friendly and care about their customers experience. Will keep coming back here for sure read more

I had the best experience at this restaurant today and this wasn't the first time that they went above and beyond! Today my boyfriend wanted more palak paneer and he asked them if they'd be making more since the lunch buffet was almost ending, they said they would! So nice of them. Another time we went there and they noticed that m boyfriend's mother was only eating the vegetable dishes and they asked if she was vegetarian, which she is. The guy disappeared and came back about 10 minutes later with a freshly made vegetarian dish just for her! I absolutely love this place! read more

Service was very good. Atmosphere was what you would expect from a strip mall restaurant in upstate ny. The food was seriously disappointing. Went with a good friend on a Tuesday night. (None of my favorite Indian restaurants are open on Tuesday). We ordered almost the entire menu!! I ordered veg biryani. I got lamb biryani. The palak paneer was inedible. The aloo gobi was in tomato sauce right out of the soup can. Inedible. The Kashmiri naan was the highlight. I do test lamb but my fried ordered the lamb korma and said it was ok. Maybe it was an off night or new cook, but we spent a fortune and looked forward to a nice meal. I'm not sure how they are staying open. There are so many good Indian restaurants between Albany and Saratoga. They need to up their game..., read more

The food is excellent as always. Fresh and flavorful! Customer service is also great very personable and most importantly the restaurant is clean. read more

Good portions, good priced and a very nice staff. Forgot also tasted great. I will definitely go back.

The first time I came here was for their lunch buffet in my pre-Yelp days. Most recently, I came back for their dinner buffet, so this review is based just on the buffets. I consider them reasonably good, and definitely a value for the price you pay. Everything seems to get restocked on a regular basis, and they had a variety of stuffed naans while I was there. The chicken tikka masala was not as good as I've had elsewhere. The sauce was quite light colored, meaning there was not as much of a tomato base. But the chicken was very tender. Some of the vegetable dishes (such as the biryani and korma) were quite potato-heavy. But there were a number of other non-meat dishes available, including a cauliflower dish, a cabbage dish, and a mushroom dish. All of these were tasty. dessert included both gulab jamun and a rice pudding with shredded carrot in it, which was quite rich. An assortment of teas and sodas are available with the buffet as well. Service was great; we were checked on frequently and our water glasses were refilled often. It's always a treat to find an Indian restaurant with a weekend dinner buffet, and this one is worth it. read more

No stars. Worst indian food i have had And i have had indian food all over try state area, london india etc Im not sure what the cook is even thinking. How can they even call this indian food. Even ok indian places have a standard that they dont fall below. And the guy was rude when ordering. Go elsewhere. And those who are not indian. Dont be fooled that this is typical indian cuisine. Its not read more

The buffet was average. Nothing really great about it. Must have: Chicken Vindaloo Avoid: Chicken Tandoori read more

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Stopped by yesterday while we were in the area for the lunch buffet - $10 per person including a beverage. The restaurant is cozy, but seated a good number of customers and filled up for lunch as soon as we arrived just before noon. The bathroom was a single person and very clean. Although the buffet was small, there were a lot of great options for both meat eaters and vegetarians/vegans. Each dish had a sign next to it listing the ingredients, so you could easily avoid any specific ingredients or allergens. The buffet options included: green salad & dressings, vegetable soup, chutneys, plain & onion naan breads, spicy & white basmati rice, roasted chickpeas & potatoes, sauteed zucchini & potatoes, cream vegetable curry, and at least 4 other meat dishes (a few chicken & one goat if I remember correctly) Overall, we all had a fantastic lunch at a great price. The naan was fresh & delicious and I loved the spicy rice mixed with chickpeas, extra chili sauce and onion chutney! The service was quick, very attentive and friendly. I would definitely visit again for lunch or dinner. read more

Food literally had no spice, I asked for green chili's and he said they don't have any???strange..he then mocked me in front of the whole restaurant saying to try his sauce and that I'm asking for too much. His workers chimed in also and made me feel I asked something out of the ordinary in an Indian paki restaurant. This will be my last time ever coming since he clearly only accommodated certain groups of people here...have them 1 star more for the service not the food. If you like bland food go for it read more

Very disappointed in this place. The oils and butter in the butter chicken were all separated and on the top. Very bland flavor as well. read more

Shalimar Garden Restaurant - Butter chicken - Indian Near Me - Clifton Park, New York

This place does an inexpensive lunch buffet, with most drinks included, for $12 / person. The mango lassi (not included) was delicious, at a reasonable serving size. The food is really good, but the place is dimly lit and has a casual gas station vibe. The water tasted a little off. read more

Super affordable buffet dinner was delicious. Service is fast and friendly. We grabbed a takeout menu for future ordering. (Gloves provided which customers must wear while going through the buffet) read more

Stumbled in by total accident. I had an appointment in the plaza and needed a quick bite beforehand. It wasn't until I walked through the door and saw a packed house on a rainy day that I realized something special was going on. Shalimar's lunch buffet is a great value with quality and fresh ingredients, and a very heavy emphasis on vegetables. A cabbage aloo and "mixed vegetables" were standouts along with potato and onion pakora. Pretty fair naan. If you want meat, there's chicken in three or four incarnations. Tandoor chicken, typically dried out, was moist and tender but the taste wasn't anything special. The flavors were kind of unidimensional, overall. Maybe they have a garam masala they like and use it on everything. I would have prefered more variety and a bit of heat which was not on offer (no curries). The proprietor told me they have goat in the evening on the weekend. Will go check it out and see if they get wild and crazy then. read more

My husband and I decided to try Shalimar for the first time last night. We actually went to our go-to Indian joint, Kabab Masala, only to find out they're closed for good. We were/are extremely saddened by this! Alas, we really wanted Indian food so we decided to give Shalimar a try. It was about 6:30 pm on a Friday and this place was jumping. Every table was taken except one. Lots of kids too. Quite a different experience from Kabab Masala which was always nice and quiet (this also made us sad). We grabbed the open table and headed for the dinner buffet. I tried everything except the goat dishes. There was no butter chicken, no chaat papri with onions and cilantro, no samosas, and no order of naan brought to the table (all things we love at Kabab Masala). The chicken tikka masala had almost no flavor with a light pink sauce (tasted mostly of cream). The cabbage was my favorite thing at Kabab Masala and I did not like Shalimar's version at all. It had a strong rosemary-like flavor to it which was very offputting, and they added potatoes. The buffet was very potato heavy. They had a spicier chicken dish which actually had decent flavor. The mushroom paneer tasted like cream of mushroom soup with no Indian flavors whatsoever. All in all, the flavors are really dumbed down here to appeal to the average Clifton Park family. No dish stuck out to be amazingly flavorful or something I'd crave again. We won't be back and are now on the hunt for our new favorite Indian place. read more

Decent Indian food in CP area. Not many choices for Indian food in this area and Shalimar's reasonable prices for lunch or dinner buffets makes it attractive. Food quality is okay and you will fill the common variety at their buffets. Service is good. Notable dishes include: Chicken tikka Onion pakora Butter chicken Naans Aloo gobi Mango lassi read more

My boyfriend and I went here for the second time to indulge in the buffet. It was our anniversary but we are saving up for our trip to Ireland and wanted some delicious but reasonably priced food. Atmosphere: Definitely ethnic. When you walk in the delicious smell of Indian food overwhelms you. It's a very small little nook, most tables are set for either 4 or 2. We had to wait a little bit for a table because their was a large party taking up several of the tables but the first time we went we got seated right away. The buffet is up front and well organized. Noise level was "busy" but not annoyingly so. Dimmed lights, but not in a romantic sense. Service/staff: Staff is very friendly, although it is hard to understand some of them because they may not speak English very well. They all seem to know and understand the language though so you can still easily communicate with them. They are quick to overturn tables and seat you. They get your drink order right away and keep the water glasses full (thank goodness!). They clear your plates quickly as well, as you are required to get a new plate if you go up to the buffet for seconds, thirds, fourths, etc. To pay you just get up and go to the counter (at least for the buffet) and then you can be on your merry way. They are very appreciative of your service. Food: If you are a fan of Indian food, you won't be disappointed. This being our second time, I tried some different dishes. The dishes were not the same from the first buffet we went to. I had the tandoori chicken, spiced rice, mixed veggies with a spicy sauce, and naan bread. My boyfriend had the chicken tikki masla, both the spiced rice and basmati rice, tandoori chicken, mixed veggies, a relish of sorts with potatoes and cabbage in it, onion chutney, and onion naan bread. Other food choices they had (that I can remember) were regular green salad with multiple dressing options, chicken with mangos, beef vindaloo, and fried cheese balls for dessert plus some other desserts. What we had was divine. It all looked delicious but a girl can only fit so much into her tummy! Cost: The buffet is an incredible deal. Even with the two of us our total bill was under $30.00. You can't go wrong! Definitely give this place a try if you are in the mood for Indian food! read more

Shalimar Garden Restaurant - Tandoori chicken, mixed veggies, naan bread, and spices rice! - Indian Near Me - Clifton Park, New York

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Lunch buffet with complimentary drinks for only $10! While I wish it wasn't so dim inside the restaurant, the lunch buffet offers a variety of dishes including vegetarian options. Unfortunately none of the dishes were outstanding and the chicken tikka masala is always extremely diluted and dry every time I have tried it. You get what you pay for. read more

Great prices for a great amount of food! We have been trying "new to us" restaurants in CP during the pandemic and have fallen in love! Take out service was great and I had enough food for two meals. read more

They now have a dinner buffet Fri-Sun for $9.99. The buffet is my favorite thing about Shalimar. I would be perfectly happy if thats all they ever did. This location has the best set up for their buffet. There is a much larger selection and the food is kept piping hot and replenished frequently. The only negative was it was very hot inside. I don't know if they were having a problem with their AC but it added to the authenticity and made me feel like I was in India. read more

Summary- Shamilar gets upgrade based on takeout. They have gone to buffet all the time, even dinner, at the Clifton Park location. Got takeout recently again. Between this place and Zaika it used to be a pretty close battle. Zaika seems to have slid down the quality scale the last couple times I got it, so I am gonna say I prefer Shalimar at this point. Food- 3.5 Stars This past time I ordered my Vindaloo at an "8" when asked between 1-10. It was pretty hot although next time I'll go 10. Both the Vindaloo and the Tikka were good, not great. Naan was good. Value- 3 Stars Pretty cheap but the serving sizes are also relatively small. Service- 3 Stars Nice enough. read more

I have only eaten from their lunch buffets, but have done so several times. The food is always great (I don't know how "authentic" it is, because I don't eat Indian food a lot) and there appear to be various different items. The green salad and Indian dressing is so so, but the naan, fried potatoes, various rice dishes, and vegetarian dishes are good. The chicken tandoori is hit or miss... sometimes it is good, but sometimes it is dry. Nearly all the chicken dishes (like the biryani) may contain small bones, so be careful eating it. Twice when I have been there they have had a dish called "Chilli Chicken" which reminds me of really tasty barbeque chicken wings. It is sweet and spicy and has become my favorite item at the restaurant. Their dining area is small, and the tables are very tight for 4 people. When we were there last, their bathroom was out of order. I certainly recommend their lunch buffet. Having never ordered off of their regular menu, I cannot offer comments. read more

The lunch buffet had limited veg options but it was mostly tasty. The food items were not very fancy.. which I liked because it tasted like made with regular spices.. but still had a good chef's touch. Some interesting curries and nice staff. read more

Incredible food, and fantastic service. $10 including a drink for their lunch buffet is an awesome price. Their food is authentic, fresh and delicious and I come here regularly. In fact, I think I am overdue for some Shalimar! I cannot say enough good things. They always have lots of veggies to pick from. Only thing that ever makes me sad is if I come on a day that does not have chana chaat or chana masala on the buffet. Other than that, this place is one of the best restaurants in the region, if you ask me. I crave it. I can never say no when someone asks me if I want to go to Shalimar. YUMMMMMM!!!!!!!!! I cannot help myself and often eat too much, but it is well worth the overstuffed feeling. :D read more

I'm always happy with the quality of food and the services! They are so welcoming and kind. Their mango Lassi is the best!

It had been a few years since I had dined in at Shalimar in Clifton Park. We usually would catch the lunch buffet on the weekend. My husband and I found ourselves there on a recent weekday night, and we were so pleased that we had decided to eat there rather than just ordering take-out. The staff were all familiar to us, and they clearly cared about their customers having a good dining experience. We ordered the mixed appetizer and shami kabab, which came with three sauces. The apps came out promptly and were warm and delicious. The entrees were chicken korma and tandoori chicken with orders of plain naan and cheese naan. The staff there knows how to time things just right so the entrees came out as the plates were cleared from our appetizers. The tandoori chicken was sizzling on the plate and the naan was pillowy soft and fresh. The chicken in the chicken korma was a good quality of meat and the serving size was generous. Our water glasses were kept filled. The staff were so pleasant to interact with and we left there with full stomachs, smiles on our faces, and a container of leftovers that I am looking forward to eating tomorrow. I would rate this dining experience six stars if I could. read more

Very good value for money!! As much tasty warm food as you can fit, lovely options. As a british tourist only critique is that it was all very creamy with no heat/spice, but I expect this may be common of all American Indian food. Some food (my favourites, Coconut naan and onion pakoras) emptied very quickly and didn't refill in the entire time we were there which was a shame. read more

I decided to branch out and check out some new places in different areas. I saw the rating and decided to give this spot a shot. Staff was extremely polite, place seemed clean, prices are fantastic, and I'm assuming less crowded because the buffet option wasn't available. I know we weren't the only ones confused by this as several other individuals had walked in for the same thing but decided to sit down and order anyway. I'm glad we did just that. When I go to an Indian restaurant, there are usually specific dishes I order to decide if I'd like to eventually try some other things. The samosas were hot, sometimes places don't thoroughly heat these, the naan wasn't overly buttered, the biryani was so flavorful, the chicken tandoori was a little salty but hands-down the most tender I have ever had, rice was fluffy, although plain, vegetable curry was great, and chicken tikka masala was good, although creamier and slightly less flavorful than what I'm used to. I was a little bummed out about not seeing goat on the menu but all-in-all, we will most definitely be back. You can't help but love when you order whatever you want and smile when you look at a check! read more

Shalimar Garden Restaurant - Butter Naan, Chicken Biryani, Chicken Tikka Masala, Chicken Tandoori, Vegetable Curry - Indian Near Me - Clifton Park, New York

Indian is our favorite go-to food. The pros of this place is that the staff is very sweet. The cons outweigh that though. The food was just okay, not particularly spiced or presented well. But it was the atmosphere which is why we'll never go back. First off, loud Bollywood music was blaring from the speakers. Now, so you know, I adore Indian music. They could have chosen some mellow sitar music or kirtan music which would be appropriate for dining. This music wa the equivalent to techno at the gym. The physical space needs some major improvements. It was dark, but not in a good way, and it needs a serious makeover. In a nutshell, life's too short for mediocre Indian food. read more